11 YEARS AND COUNTING IN OUR THRIFT SHOP
The Remarkable Toni Yurkewich has been volunteering at the Seba Thrift Shop for more than eleven years! She is one of the ties that bind the Shop together. Further, she is an in-house historian and a remarkable storyteller; she has an eclectic taste in music, and a thirst to solve mysteries (look out Nancy Drew!). AND she is the Co-Manager of the Thrift Shop.
She works mostly behind the scenes, in the donation area, where she is one of the first sets of eyes and hands to sort through the newest batch of donations. If you’re in the store, watch for her to say hello (or listen for her, as you can always hear her music playing).
Often, as she goes through your donations, something unusual will catch her eye – it may be a beautiful keepsake like a silver teapot, a piece of original artwork like the recent prints of Edmonton landmarks, or something that is worthy of further research, like a recently donated silver platter from a curling event held in Saskatchewan 60+ years ago! She takes these oddities home with her, and begins her investigation, starting with a look online or by connecting with an expert who is knowledgeable in that field.
HIDDEN GEMS AND THEIR VALUE
A recent donation to the Shop really piqued her interest. It was a collectible Strawberry Shortcake doll; it came with all provenance, to support its value, including its original box, receipt of purchase, and certificate of authenticity. Toni verified three different websites to get an approximate value of the doll. She even checked with a Doll Collectors group to understand its value to a true collector. From her research for this item, she decided upon a fair and reasonable value. It has been posted to Facebook Marketplace, to reach a larger audience, and has had more than 100 hits! We are confident it will find a special home.
As we get many antiques, vintage items, and “Whats-its” donated, Toni’s stealth tactics have proven to be priceless to the Thrift Shop. We are grateful that she finds it very interesting to learn about those items and to share her findings with a larger audience.
When Toni shared the Strawberry Shortcake story with me, it was very clear why this item had a special place in Toni’s heart. Can you see the resemblance?
